The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1887-06-22
SMUGGLED DIAMONDS.

ing TO smuggle, and don't think | did
any wrong by il, said ship chandler,
of this city, 10 Il group of sea captains who
had assembled in the snug little Office of
his well stocked store one afternoon re-
Gently. The surprise which this an
noucement had provoked gave place to
expressions of curiosity on the part of
the assembled captains, and the chandler
proceeded to explain his innocent con-
neetion with the smuggling industry.
When ! was about 10 years old,
said the chandler, went to sea.
shipped as cook on an American bark,
which finally landed me in Liverpool,
where | was paid off. After got rid of
my wages | looked about for another
ship | found a berth as cook on an
American bark Of 600 tons, which was
bound for Savannah. The captain was
quiet sort of man, with small black eyes,
each of which looked as if it vas trying
TO keep what il was doing from the oth-
er. The day before the bark sailed long,
narrow box came on board, and the cap
tain had it slowed away carefully in his
stateroom. The box looked as though it
might contain a colin. made up my
mind that there was body inside, but
as wasn't superstitious myself | didn't
pay much attention to the matter at the
time. The crew looked like tough men.
They We're hard cases, as a rule, but they
seemed willing enough to do their work
all except two. These were big, brawny
Irishman we called Dublin Mike and a
wiry, Spanish chap named Tony
Mike and Tony were always telling the
other chaps they We're working too hard,
and We're advising them to stand up for
their rights. We had good run for
about three weeks, and had made the
better part of the voyage, when a heavy
northernly gale set in. There was good
deal of iron in the cargo, and that made
the bark labor badly. She strained so
much that she spranga leak. The pumps |
had 10 be kept going nearly ali the time.
The gale lasted several days, and we
drifted considerably to the southwark.
The men rot tired of working 80 much at
the pumps, and then it leaked out about |
the strange looking box in the captains |
stateroom
No wonder we have bad luck, said |
Dublin Mike, with that stiff on board
and the chap began to work on the su-
perstItious feeling of the men by telling
them that no ship with dead body on |
board was ever known to get through a
voyage without trouble
That night, at four bells in the dog |
watch, all hands laid aft and asked to sec !
the captain. The skipper came out OF |
the cabin looking sort of scared and |
asked the men what they wanted. Mike |
who was spokesman, said that they I
couldn't stand it any longer with dead |
body on board The body had to go |
overheard, or else the ship would go I
down. The skipper said that the idea
that dead bo,iy could bring any harm
to ship was all nonsense, and he told
the men to 20 forward. Then Tony cried
out TO the men To follow him and made
dash toward the cabin door.
Stop, men. cried the captain, there
amt any dead body IN that box
Tony and the rest stopped"
That box," the captain went on TO
say, has only got some silk in it that
want to get through without duty Per
haps there's some diamonds in with the
silks, and perhaps there morc diamonds
than there is silks. I'm going to Put
into Bermuda for repairs. We're within
two days sail of Bermuda now.
" But, said Tony, if we help you 10
save the diamonds and silks you ought
to divide with US when we get to savan-
nah
And so | will, said the skipper.
Mike swore that the captain ought to
open the box and show the men that
there was really no body in it, Tony
seized Mike by the arm and whispered
to him in an angry tone
Mike then stammered and said that he
would take the captains word for it, and
all went forward quietly.
''The wind was fair during the next
twenty-four hours, and the next night
when | turned IN ] understood that the
chances were that we would reach Ber-
muda some time in the morning. The
watch on deck had been keeping the
pumps going nearly all the time, and |
could hear them clicking as fell asleep.
| slept in little stateroom right aft of
the forec;istle. There was little air hole
in the bulkhead between my room and
the foreeastle. | had frequently heard
what was going on in the forecastle, but
had never paid much attention to it.
That night | woke up feeling Kind of un-
| heard voices in the fore
castle. ! fancied that the watches had
just been changed and l tried to 90 to
sleep again, but | could not. This sur
prised me, because the men usually went
10 sleep the moment they turned in |
put my ear up TO the air hole and listen
ed.
"What will we do with the cook ?" /
heard sailor say.
They'll lock him in just before eight
bells" replied voice, which | recogniz-
ed as Mikes.
Then | heard noise as if my door
and the shutters over my window were
being fastened. | got up softly and felt
my door. found that had been fast
ened in. climbed back into my berth
and putting my ear TO the hole, listened
again
What will become of the poor cook
locked up there?" heard the sailor
lsk.
"The same as will become of the ship
replied Mike, with laugh.
:" A chilly. awful kind Of feeling came
over me when he said this"
At eight bells we begin he contin-
led.
81 heard eight bells strike and then
heard the men rush out of the forecastle.
IN instant latter | heard several pistol
'hots fired. This was followed by loud
shouts and something which sounded |